Suspect Deposited Himself in Jail

“If there is a right place and time for everything, this was probably the worst place and the worst time to pull this kind of stunt,” commented reporter Pete Demetriou of KFWB-AM radio (980).

A customer at an ATM was attempting to withdraw some cash when he noticed a man “kneeling behind him, waving a knife,” police said. The customer ran for help and officers arrested the knife-wielder, who was found to have the victim’s ATM card and $40 cash in his pocket.

Police didn’t have far to run.

The incident occurred at an ATM in the lobby of the 77th Street police station.

NON-CRIME STORY OF THE WEEK: The Los Alamitos News-Enterprise carried this item on its police log:

LA PALMA, Dec. 4, 7:41 p.m.: “A woman found some unknown substance next to her bed, tasted it and became dizzy. The substance was found to be food crumbs.”

DANA, WE HARDLY KNOW YE: A sound bite from Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) on the failed Mars mission was broadcast on Howard Stern’s radio show on KLSX-FM (97.1). What made the segment really spacey was that Stern sidekick Robin Quivers introduced Rohrabacher as “congresswoman,” then kept referring to him as “she.”

TRAFFIC MESS DU JOUR: A spill of portable toilets on the Pomona Freeway, just east of Ontario.

SOUTH COAST PLAZA DIDN’T FEEL A THING: The small quake that struck near Yorba Linda on Tuesday made me think of the time a shaker hit Central America, and one L.A. television station said that it had been felt in “Panama and Costa Mesa.”

MORE DETAILS, PLEASE: Lee Hunt of Northridge saw an ad for a 1955 MG which was said to be showing “unusual signs of age” (see accompanying). Said Hunt: “The supernatural aside, just what could be unusual wear in a 44-year-old British sports car?”

LOST ON ICE: Through the years, the Kings hockey team has appeared disoriented more than a few times. So perhaps it should come as no surprise that the club’s 1999 World Wide Web page makes a reference to the Forum, including “parking tips . . . building tips . . . directions.” Someone tell management that the team has moved from the Forum to Staples.

NOW THAT’S OLDE! Although some might believe that Orange County has no history prior to the 1955 founding of Disneyland, Mike Grundmann found evidence that the city of Orange was bustling more than a millennium ago (see photo).

GUERRILLA PROOFREADER REPORT: More sightings of unusual writing spotted by Only in L.A. readers:

* A menu listing for chili con “crane” (Lawrence Gibbs, who wondered if that creature wasn’t “on the endangered foods list”).

* A “clear semi-gloss coating” with directions for “beast” results (Philip Nathan).

* A festival bulletin advertising “marital” arts (Margaret Guerra).

* A catalog with a product that prevents the growth of “annual weds” (Michael Haas, who points out, “As there is so much divorce nowadays, the annual ritual of having a wedding can now be controlled at its source”).

THREE WEEKS LEFT TO CORRECT YOUR SPELLING: On Wednesday, a marquee at the Commerce Plaza Hotel off the Santa Ana Freeway advertised a “millinium” event.

miscelLAny:

Commuters on the Golden State Freeway were slowed Wednesday morning by a brush fire--in the vicinity of Smokey Bear Road.

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Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LATIMES Ext. 77083, by fax at (213) 237-4712, by mail at Metro, L.A. Times, Times Mirror Square, L.A. 90053 and by e-mail at steve.harvey@latimes.com.